Yasuko Kitajima
Papers
13
Total Citations
139
H-Index
7
About
Dr. Yasuko Kitajima is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of robotics and nursing education, specializing in the development of robotic patient simulators for clinical skills training. Her major contributions include designing and validating robot patients that realistically simulate diverse patient conditions—such as paralysis, pain sensitivity, and motor impairments—enabling nursing students to practice patient transfer techniques safely and repeatedly. Her work integrates inertial measurement units and angular position sensors to objectively evaluate transfer skills, distinguishing correct from incorrect techniques. With her most-cited paper (29 citations) demonstrating the impact of robot patients on nursing skill acquisition, and subsequent studies (23, 16 citations) refining robot design and validation, Dr. Kitajima has established a robust evidence base for simulation-based education. Notably, her research addresses critical gaps in nursing training by providing tools for self-practice and feedback, reducing reliance on faculty and real patients. Her achievements include developing robots that reproduce sit-to-stand movements and assessing skill transfer across similar and dissimilar tasks, advancing both educational methodology and patient safety. Dr. Kitajima’s work is essential reading for researchers and educators in healthcare simulation and human-robot interaction.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 3Robot Patient Design to Simulate Various Patients for Transfer Training16 citations · 2017
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- 9Design of a robot for patient transfer training7 citations · 2013
- 10Robotics as a Tool in Fundamental Nursing Education6 citations · 2014